The Immortal Game (book 1) (18 page)

A group of young goddesses stood behind the long table. There were nine or ten in all. They wore whimsical masks and had wings attached to the backs of their colorful peploses; costumes for a dance or a play.

The lesser gods sat at the tables around the room. Their peploses and chitons created a mosaic of color. Heads turned to see who had come into the Great Hall and whispers traveled along the round tables.

“He’s here.”

“He brought her.”

“Who is she?”

Soon the murmurs reached Zeus’s table. Athena was the first to look up. She gave Ruby a quick smile but then glanced down at the goblet in her hand. Ruby smiled at her one friend, besides Ares. Her smile died, though, as more gods and goddesses turned to look at them.

Most of the gods’ faces were placid and unperturbed. The goddess from the tapestry smiled at Ruby. Ruby flinched at the unexpected gesture and quickly glanced to the goddess’s side. The deformed god, she noticed, hadn’t bothered to look at them at all.

The whispers soon gave way to complete silence. Ruby caught one stray note from Apollo’s instrument before he too stopped what he was doing to watch them.

Zeus looked up at her with those blue eyes. “Ah, here is the source of all your worry, dear,” he said. He looked to the auburn-haired goddess next to him, definitely Hera. But then his eyes were back on Ruby.

She tried to remember to breathe.

“The rumors bear true after all,” Zeus said. “Your son has brought a human to Olympus. Is she to dine with the gods?” He held his golden goblet out and looked straight at her. A generous smile formed on his lips.

When his eyes shifted to Ares, the smile faded and his nostrils flared. “I can think of nothing more absurd than that. Nothing more foolish than for a god to ignore the edict and bring a stranger … a
human
—” His eyes shot to Ruby then back to Ares. “—to Olympus.” He paused, but only for a moment. “Can you, Ares?”

“She has not come to dine with the gods.” Ares’s voice was as steady as Zeus’s eyes. “At least not yet.”

Ruby heard gasps. She saw mouths drop open in surprise. She glanced to Athena, who looked straight at Ares, her mouth open slightly, as though she knew nothing about this.

Ruby’s eyes darted to Apollo. What could he do in this moment? Athena said that Apollo had more friends than Ares. Ruby hadn’t worried about it until now. What kind of influence did he have here?

When he shifted in his seat her heart froze. She watched as the tall god straightened one leg and then the other. He stretched them both out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. He looked as though he were bored, as if none of this concerned him. She was as angry as she was relieved. He would play it cool, apparently. He would save his own skin above everything.

“We’ve come for your blessing, Father. And Hera’s too.” Ares nodded in deference to his mother.

“A blessing?” Zeus’s head cocked to the side, but his face was unsurprised. Had he been expecting them, expecting this, after all?

Ares held up their clasped hands and looked at Ruby. Her cheeks flushed hot as she felt every eye in the room on her. “I love her,” he said. “We are to marry.”

More clamors of disbelief ran through the room. Zeus glanced around. Ruby looked at Hera. Her brow was knit. Hera’s eyes darted to the tabletop and then back to Ares.

Zeus said nothing. The room quieted. “Marry? She’s
human
.” His voice was deep, rich, and commanding. Ruby could feel his eyes on her. She looked to the golden floor. “You know the decree, the edict. No contact with humans. Ever!” The last word was a shout and Ruby did not doubt his anger or his power.

She felt her arms begin to shake. Ares squeezed her hand but it only helped a little.

“Marriage?” Zeus continued. His eyes widened. His muscles tensed. “It’s out of the question.”

“I’m lucky,” Ares went on, as if Zeus had encouraged him to tell them more. “She loves me enough to give up her life as a human. She’s willing to become a goddess. She will be bound to me in
hieros gamos
.”

The murmurs doubled. Ruby’s eyes shot around the room. Gods and goddesses turned in their golden seats to see the reactions of those around them.

Zeus spoke over everyone. “Of course she’s
willing
, you fool. What human wouldn’t want immortality, and worshippers, and
wealth
?” He narrowed his eyes at her.

Ares stepped forward and pulled Ruby with him. “
Listen
,” he said, holding Zeus’s gaze. “We’re in love. We ask that you marry us in
hieros gamos
and that we have the blessing of Hera.”

The room was silent now as Ares looked to his mother. “Bless us as the goddess of marriage, like you used to do for even the lowliest peasant couple, if they were truly in love and truly humble before you.”

Ruby braved a glance up in Hera’s direction. Her auburn hair framed her ivory face and those green eyes shone like emeralds: bold, beautiful, and cold. “I’m glad for your happiness, son.” Her voice was calm and smooth. “But as you know, it is not up to—”

“You have disregarded my command, despite the consequences,” Zeus broke in. “You have been to Earth. You have brought a human to Olympus. To the Great Hall!” he bellowed. “Now you ask for this? This impossible thing that will destroy Olympus and destroy our way of life?” He waved dismissively at them. “Take her back to Earth. While you still can.”

“I won’t take her back,” Ares said. “I need her. She is the only balm to sooth my affliction. Earth only knows peace,
I
only know peace, when Ruby’s with me.”

“Ruby?” Zeus scoffed. “That’s rich. Your jewel?” He laughed a great roar of laughter. The rest of the room erupted too. Ruby was reminded of a high school cafeteria where the biggest bully makes a joke and everyone laughs out of fear.

“I love her. Like you love Hera. I need her, like you need your goddess.”

The room returned to a hush as if every breath hung on Zeus’s response. Zeus looked at no one but Ares. His face gave nothing away. Gods shifted in their seats, squirming in the silence.

Ares stood straight. He was not about to bend. He gestured to the room with his free hand. “Who among you has been in love?” He waited for a response but the room was quiet. “Which of you sit here with your wives, your husbands, your lovers?” He asked this while making eye contact around the room. Some gods smiled. Others looked away.

“How many of you had to leave your loves because they were mortal?” He paused and Ruby saw gods cast their eyes down or place a hand on their chest.

“Which of you left your children? Is there one of you who can say they haven’t missed the energy of mortals?” Ares’s eyes shot to Apollo, but Apollo was looking down at the table before him, his arms and legs still crossed.

“Who misses the pure, fresh joy of beings bursting with the rush of life?” Ares asked.

Almost every god in the room nodded and loud approving whispers rippled through the gathering.

“Who among you is ready for the separation to be over?” He sounded like a general rallying his troops.

“I am!” one god shouted, though Ruby hadn’t seen who said it. The outburst was met with increasingly louder declarations of approval and more vigorous nodding of heads.

Zeus’s cheeks were a deep pink and his eyes were wide. They ranged over the crowd. “Silence!” he shouted.

The room was quiet in a second.

“You do have nerve, son. A steel nerve.” Zeus’s fists were balled on the table, like he was barely keeping himself under control. Ruby was shocked when he smiled, but the smile wasn’t genuine. It was the smile of a small-town politician, practiced and phony-looking.

“There’s no reason for everyone to get up in arms here,” the king of the gods put up both hands in front of him. It was an odd gesture for an absolute ruler. It looked like surrender.

“I care little for the goings-on of Earth, you know that.” He glanced around the crowd as if to gauge their reaction. The lesser gods looked at their king with their mouths hanging open.

“But I can see that you do care,” Zeus said to Ares. “You. And some of the others.” His eyes shot down the Table of the Twelve, and then around the room. “I know you wouldn’t have gone to Earth alone, at least not to anywhere where you would have met
her
.” Zeus looked at Ruby again. He held her gaze. “Your little jewel is indeed quite a treasure.”

A chill ran across Ruby’s skin at the compliment. She thought of all the mortal women Zeus had pursued on Earth and felt the fear of that. If she had ever thought that it would have been flattering to have the king of the gods come from Olympus to show you special attention she now realized that it must have been terrifying, especially as she saw Hera sitting there, emotionless green eyes staring down at her.

The rest of the gods exchanged knowing glances or snickered to one another. Zeus had regained control of the crowd. Now she was nothing more than a sideshow, a diversion.

“I see the girl is important to you, Ares,” Zeus continued. “And I’ll be relieved to see my malcontent son satisfied at last. I’ll grant your wish. She’ll eat the ambrosia. I will perform
hieros gamos
. I will make your human girl your wife.” Zeus looked to Hera. “As far as the great mother’s blessing, you’ll have to ask her.”

Hera looked Ruby over. Her green eyes traveled down her body. “She’s unspoiled at least,” Hera said.

Ruby felt her face get hot.

Hera looked at Ares. Her green eye softened. “Be sure, my son. Be sure you want
this
.”

Ruby cringed at the implication.

Ares said nothing, but stared back at his mother without emotion.

Hera took up her formal tone again. “I will bless the marriage if she remains pure until the day.”

Ruby stopped breathing.
Yes
? They had both said yes? But then why was Ares so serious? Why the heavy quiet in the room?

“When?” Ares demanded, apparently not ready to celebrate their engagement yet.

“Spring,” Zeus answered, as if he knew the question was coming. “A few months to think on it will do you good. I needn’t remind you that
hieros gamos
is forever. Once she is immortal and your wife, there will be no going back. We are not about to change
all
the rules for your whims, Ares.”

“Spring.” Ares nodded. He squeezed Ruby’s hand until she felt it might be crushed. “But I need your word, father. Your oath.”

Zeus’s eyes shifted to the side but then met with Ares’s again. “I swear it by the River Styx. When the first flowers bloom on Mount Olympus you shall marry your human girl. Here even,” he spread his hands out before him. “In the Great Hall. A marriage truly fit for a god and goddess.”

Could it be this easy? No bolt of lightning to smite her? No eternal punishment for Ares? She hadn’t dared to imagine this outcome. Now a rush went through her and she felt unsteady on her feet.

Ares nodded to no one in particular. He turned and led Ruby out of the room with all the confidence he had strode in with. They walked back through the huge golden entryway and out past the columns. Now neither of them looked around.

In the dark Olympic night the stars shone a blazing swath of silver-white. Ares stopped. He picked her up in a tight hug around her waist and lifted her into the air. He laid his head on her breast and let out a long breath. She lowered her cheek onto the top of his head. His black silky hair was soft on her face. He didn’t say anything.

She wanted to feel relief and excitement, but he hugged her as if she would be snatched away if he let go. When he put her back down on her feet she saw that he wasn’t smiling. There were tight creases around his eyes.

“Aren’t you happy? It was everything we had hoped for. He’s going to do it. And Hera will bless us.”

“I don’t trust him,” Ares said. “It was too easy.”

“But he gave his oath …” She wondered if oaths were different for gods. Maybe she had misunderstood.

“You’re right. He has to marry us. He swore. An oath by the River Styx is unbreakable for any god, even Zeus.” His eyes remained narrow. “It’s just … You don’t know him. We can never trust him. Not really.”

FOURTEEN

Athena’s abode was much like her apartment on Earth, but bigger and grander. Statues, tapestries, ancient-looking pots, and small stone figures lined every shelf and stood on pedestals in every nook and cranny. If there were velvet ropes and a crowd, Ruby thought, it really would be a museum.

The abode itself was typical in an Olympic way. The walls were polished amethyst and, like Ares’s abode, Athena’s was much too big for one god. Doorways led to luxuriously furnished rooms that had probably never been used. And, like Ares, Athena had taken one room for her own.

The library was two stories high and made up one entire half of the main floor. A tight metal staircase led up to a mezzanine level that housed most of the stacks; shelves of books from all eras of Earth’s history.

The downstairs furnishings were rich but practical. Heavy oak tables and chairs sat around the room in convenient locations. Gold or black lettering marked the spines of many of the books on the shelves that circled the room. Ruby saw English, Spanish, French, Chinese or Japanese and what she thought were Greek, Russian, Hebrew, and Sanskrit. Others were too faded or cracked to read at all.

One wall of shelves contained not bound books but yellowing rolled scrolls stored in diamond-shaped cubbies. Some of the scroll’s edges were singed black.

“Well done, Ares,” Athena said from the couch across from Ruby and Ares. “You played well to his weaknesses. He hates to lose control.” The blue peplos she had worn to Hera’s dinner party shaded her eyes a deep grey.

Ruby looked at Ares. He nodded but his eyes still held a hint of tightness.

“You’ll stay with me until the wedding,” Athena said to Ruby. “Hera will appreciate the gesture.”

“I can’t stay with Ares?”

“It’s for appearances,” the goddess said. “On your wedding day Hera will know if you’re still a virgin or not, no matter where you’ve been sleeping.”

All this talk of Ruby’s virginity, like it was a ribbon in her hair for everyone to comment on, was starting to wear on her. “Why does it matter so much?”